SEATTLE — Despite Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seahawks still have a chance to qualify for the NFL playoffs. Seattle will need a win and some help from an NFC rival.
The Seahawks sit eighth in the current NFC standings, with seven teams earning postseason berths in each conference. Five of the seven spots have already been secured, with the Seahawks among six teams fighting for the final two spots.
The first step is a win over the Arizona Cardinals down in Glendale in the Seahawks' regular-season finale. Arizona has had a down year under new head coach Jonathan Gannon, but the Cardinals are coming off a surprising win over the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.
With a win, the Seahawks would simply need the Green Bay Packers to lose to the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
If the Seahawks and Cardinals end in a tie, Seattle would need a Packers loss and a loss/tie by either the New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sneak into the playoffs.
The Seahawks' and Packers' games will kick off at 1:25 p.m. Sunday, so fans will have to follow along with both games to see the outcome of the playoff chase.
The NFL's playoff format reserves the top four seeds for division leaders, then the next three best records in each conference round out the field. Here is a breakdown of the current standings in the NFC and which teams have solidified their spot in the postseason.
- San Francisco 49ers (12-4, clinched)
- Dallas Cowboys (11-5, clinched)
- Detroit Lions (11-5, clinched)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, clinched)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-7, clinched)
- Green Bay Packers (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
- New Orleans Saints (8-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
